Excavation work began on Wednesday for crocodile moats that will surround high-security wings at Ketziot Prison in southern Israel, Ynet reported.

The office of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir announced that the plan has officially been launched: “Whoever murdered, massacred, raped and behaved like a wild animal deserves to be guarded by one, just like them.”

“Those who thought this was a gimmick were mistaken,” the statement continued. “Following Environmental Minister Idit Silman’s signature and the official classification of the Nile crocodile as a domesticated wild animal, the pilot program has officially begun at the Ketziot prison wing.”

The Nile crocodile was previously classified as a protected wild animal, which was a legal hindrance to using them for security purposes outside licensed zoos.

According to the minister’s office, the Israel Prison Service is prepared to implement the program, including all necessary aspects—from maintaining and caring for the crocodiles to providing resting enclosures for them. The statement added that prison officers have been trained to secure both the facility and the crocodiles, and that the Ministry of National Security has allocated 21 million shekels (about $6.3 million) for constructing the moats and related infrastructure. The statement noted that the Israel Prison Service welcomes the initiative, saying it will ease the burden on prison guards guarding the Nukhba terrorists.

The move comes about six months after Ben Gvir proposed establishing a prison surrounded by crocodile-filled moats for Nukhba terrorists.

The Israel Prison Service adopted the proposal and began extensive planning for the project, including a series of professional studies and visits to zoos. According to the IPS, those findings indicated that constructing a prison surrounded by crocodile-filled moats could significantly reduce ongoing security costs while creating a strong deterrent against escape attempts by security prisoners.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)